A blog about modernist home design, stock house plans, custom house plans, energy efficient design, green building, current and past projects and just about anything else related to modern residential design.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

While building a Modern style home from scratch may be the most direct option, an excellent alternative is to find an older home on a great lot or in the area you want to live.

One real advantage to remodeling an older home is location. Older homes are often located closer to metropolitan centers and may be on larger lots with mature trees. These things offer great appeal. Add to them a good remodel and you can have a fantastic home.

When it comes to remodeling, there are several options: you can just do all or part of the interior, or you can do the interior and do some exterior improvements, or you can do a major remodel inside and out. If you have ever watched the HGTV show, Property Brothers, you have a good idea what you can do to the interior of a home with $30K to $50K. It can be amazing! Other great examples can be found in the magazine, Atomic Ranch.

The interior of almost any home can be converted into a modernist marvel with some money and some work. How much depends on what you want, what you can spend and how much you can do yourself. Paint and updated furnishings can make a big difference. Want more? Change or add new windows and doors. Now your older home can look very modern on the inside.

Want to go all the way? Rip off and change the roof line, changed the siding material, etc. This can still be much cheaper than building a new home. There is typically no limit to how much you can change the look and feel of a 50-70 year old house.

Regardless of what updates you do to an older home, be prepared for surprises. Whenever you rip open old walls, you are guaranteed to find some things you did not expect, most of which will cost you more money than you planned. But on the flip side, all of these surprises can be overcome. It is generally considered a good idea to have some money built into your renovation plan to cover contingencies.

You will also probably want to hire a residential designer, architect or interior designer to help you with your project if it is a total make-over. Their expertise will prove invaluable with such a large and complex project.

Just keep in mind that with a good plan, the right help and quality contractors, you can convert that run-down home on the great lot, into the modernist marvel you have always dreamed of for your family!